New to Dungeons and Dragons?

08.02.2010 | Author: Zeeman Haus | Posted in Entertainment

Whether you’re an “old school” gamer or just thinking about checking out Dungeons and Dragons for the first time, it’s good to know what you’re in for. DnD is a great way to take a trip to exotic places without ever leaving your living room (or parent’s basement). So, Oh Prince, grab your Mt. Dew and favourite crispy treat and let us return to the days of yore- or the next paragraph.

Dungeons and Dragons was first on the scene nearly 36 years ago as a game. Invented in 1974, it saw several rules changes and some refinement of the last three and half decades, though it say it’s hay day in the mid-80s when everyone short of your Grandmother tried the game at one point or the other.

DnD could best be described as a board game. It has a board, or map, and game pieces that players must move. It has a final objective (usually involving killing something and taking something else) and like most other board games, it has a set of dice. There is where the similarity ends though; at the dice.

The game is heavily dependent on the roll of the dice. Unlike other games your game piece- pardon me, character can only move so many spaces a turn, or round. The dice determine combat scores (roll for a hit) and success of spells and other factors, such as whether or not your character will be turned into a goat and for how long. By goat, we mean literally, a goat, it’s happened. The kicker is that the dice are not your standard 6 sided variety. They come in an amazing assortment of sides and colors.

Though there have been many revisions and new mods over the last 35 years, the basic races of Dungeons and Dragons have not changed. The main four races are Humans, Dwarves, Elves, half-Elves and Halflings. Each of these character races has their pluses and minuses as far as abilities go and will also help determine the character’s class.

Class is the next major factor and entire websites have been dedicated to each class of character, but here’s a basic breakdown of the different classes. Warriors will have no magic but strong close combat (melee) aptitude and roughed endurance. Mages or Wizards are weaker physically and cannot take as much damage as the warrior, but they do have a few tricks up their sleeves. Priests tend to be the healers of the group and are desired as playing partners, though a lot of players prefer not to play this type of character. Typically a priest is on par physically with a magic user. Thieves would be the final basic class. What a thief does is fairly straightforward; they pick locks, take things and have an ability to detect traps. Combinations of these classes exist and keep the game lively. A Paladin for instance is a priest/warrior combo. Race restrictions apply though. Some races just can’t be certain types of classes.

The alignment of the character is the character’s moral stance; good, neutral or evil. Since this is a role-playing game, this is also how your character will interact with other characters. Being an evil character does not mean you can eat another party member’s hot pocket if they fall asleep on the couch, but it does mean that your character might argue with say, one of the “good guys”. This adds a little something to the game. So does your character’s level. The level of your character is based on what you’ve accomplished while playing them. With every battle won and quest completed, the player is awarded experience points, which when added to points already accumulated, will “level” a character. Higher levels mean more options as characters will gain strength and new skills with each new level achieved.

Part of the lure of Dungeons and Dragons has been its ability to adapt and how the game will allow players to adapt it to their specific tastes. This brief article is but a sliver of the options and game play of the D&D realm. What’s amazing is that the game is still alive in certain gaming circles and still played today, proving to not be a fad. So if you missed it at its pinnacle, you can still drop by the local comic book shop, check the bulletin board and buy what you need!

Zeeman Haus enjoys writing articles online on a variety of subjects. You can check out his latest website on Dungeons and Dragons Miniatures which provides deals Dungeons and Dragons Miniatures & Accessories.